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Saturday, January 31, 2015

There is just something about a stack of old airmail letters that I love.

They speak of romance, hard times, the war.

They tell a story -

of someone's life,

of an era.

Several years ago, I came across an old collection of these beautiful letters. I cannot imagine who could have parted with them, but I took them home with me and enjoyed reading them. They were written by a man who has been assigned to Le Havre as Assistant to the Regional Executive of the American Red Cross. He writes to his sister and his aunt.

It's 1945 and he is in Rouen, France. He talks about the city and his travels around Normandy. He writes about the destruction that surrounds him from the bombings. In one of the stories he writes home about, he talks about a French pastor and his family - food supply is scarce and the prices are highly inflated. The pastor's children have never tasted oranges before. They next day, the soldier is able to get oranges from the Army mess hall and he takes them to the children.

They are absolutely delighted by the oranges.

Reading these letters will transport you to another time, put you right in the middle of the action.

Maybe that's why I love them so.

Anyway, this little stack of airmail history that I found, inspired me to create a few note cards of my own.

I bring to you...Handmade Airmail Inspired Note Cards.

Send a little note to someone you love and create a bit of your own history!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

When you find "the perfect" chair at the thrift store but you just don't have the time to completely reupholster it.

Yes, that's what I was thinking when I spotted this chair.

It was $15 and it was perfect.

Well, okay, maybe not perfect, but would you look at those lines?

I knew exactly where I wanted to put it and so it came home with me.

I did reupholster the sides and back with burlap...but I painted the rest of it. Yes, painted it! No sewing, no zippers, no pinning. Just me and my paintbrush, a can of paint, and of course the chair. She was begging me to paint her.

So of course, I obliged.

What do you think of her now?

She's lovely, I think.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen for the frame and chair - Graphite for the stripes.

Clear wax on the whole chair and a bit of dark wax to bring out the wood details.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

It has been so long and I wanted to pop in and say hello - let you know what I've been up to!

As many of you know, I started an Etsy shop a year ago - The French Marketplace. From there, I started selling my painted furniture locally {too expensive to ship}. I've been painting furniture for years, but finally having an opportunity to sell it has been wonderful!

I'm so happy to say that it's been going well and I have been really busy!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this venture. I sincerely thank you for your business!

I wanted to share a few of the pieces that I have done over the past few months.

Each one of these pieces have been painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Duck Egg and Annie Sloan in Graphite on the tops. Finally, clear wax and then dark wax to bring out the details.

I also completely re-did our dining room. New paint, curtains, and I painted some of the furniture in there too.

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"Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, not even if your whole world seems upset. If you find that you have wandered away from the shelter of God, lead your heart back to Him quietly and simply." -St. Francis de Sales

About Me

I love the simple things in life and as the name implies, I love all things vintage and French. I especially like the earthy look of old grain sacks and vintage ticking. The colors and the textures are just gorgeous. I like to go junkin' and I love to paint furniture. I enjoy making something great out of someone else's castoffs. I thoroughly enjoy the simple life surrounded by the ones I love. I love my Catholic faith and I love God! Thanks for visiting!